You know you're a cycling widow when....

- you start to find his 'cyling tan' endearing, rather than just plain ridiculous.

- you automatically tell the loud american tourist in the sports shop that no, the red spotted jersey is not the "French team top", but the King of the Mountain jersey. doh?

- you actually know what the 'King of the Mountain' jersey is.

- you bought YOURSELF a cycling book, because you thought it looked interesting.

- you are used to him having smoother legs than you most of the time.

- you seriously consider buying a car (despite the cost and lack of need for one in a big city) as you realise it'd be much more convenient for getting to races and transporting bikes.

- you consider viable models by how much room they have in the boot, not by how cute they look.

- you buy a special hamper for 'bike stuff' to try to limit it taking over the whole flat.

- you give up thinking silly ideas like that would work.

- you take more care washing your other half's lycra than you do your own clothes.

- you make a 'special dinner' by buying a more expensive brand of pasta.

- you can differentiate his team mates in the peleton by their pedal stroke (granted, the bright orange strip helps).

- you know what a peleton is.

- you can convince yourself that it really is their pedal stroke that you notice, not their thighs. honest.

- you no longer think that men in brightly coloured lycra look like clowns.

- you are prepared for the communication black-out that will begin July 2nd, when he will be glued to the Tour De France coverage for 3 weeks.

- you realise you're actually looking forward to watching some of the Tour de France coverage.

- you think it's normal that you are taking two bikes on your summer holiday and your destination is planned around cycle routes.

- you have an argument with your other half when he's out of the country and you take YOURSELF to the bike track for an hour to calm down.

- you spend the hour thinking it really was time you bought drop handlebars if you're going to catch that bloody woman in front of you.

- you get sad on your way home when you remember that convenient bike tracks will be fewer and further between when you return to London.

- you realise you've been turned.

Merde.

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P.s - The Frenchman is competing in a stage of the Tour de France on 17 July and raising money for leukaemia research, a cause very dear to his heart - so if you read this, please, please, please take a little bit of time to sponsor him at http://laurettefugain.alvarum.net/teamrondy2011. Every little helps.

It's the French equivalent of 'Just Giving' and is very easy to donate, even from the UK!

There's only 24 more days to go and only 113 euros to reach his target!!!!!